I wanted to take a picture of the tacos all assembled in the
tortilla with the cream, salsa, fish, and cabbage—but I couldn't wait to eat,
lol, and I didn't get a chance to. They were so good—so good in fact that I’m
now a fish taco lover, but only if I make them, of course.
Ingredients
Beer Batter:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup dark Mexican beer*
Cream Sauce:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2/3 cup Mexican crema** or sour cream
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fish Tacos:
Oil, for frying
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
2 pounds skinned halibut cut into 5 by 1/2-inch strips
Freshly ground black pepper
Corn tortillas
2 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups tomatillo salsa (store-bought or homemade) for
garnish, optional
Pickled jalapenos, for garnish, optional
Directions
For the Beer Batter:
Mix the flour, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Gradually
add in the beer while whisking. Set aside and let the batter rest for 15
minutes before using.
For Cream Sauce:
Add the mayonnaise and crema to a medium bowl. Whisk in the
lemon zest, lemon juice and water. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper (can
be made 3 days ahead, covered and refrigerated).
For the Fish:
In a large skillet, over medium heat, add enough oil to
reach a depth of 1-inch. Heat the oil until a deep-fry thermometer registers
350 degrees F or when the end of a wooden spoon sizzles when inserted into the
oil.
On a large plate, combine the flour and salt. Season the
fish pieces all over with salt and pepper and coat with the flour. Working in
batches, dip the fillets in the beer batter and coat on both sides. Fry in the
hot oil until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to
paper towels to drain.
Make tacos with the tortillas and fish and top each with
cream, shredded cabbage, tomatillo salsa and pickled jalapenos, if desired.
*Cook's Note: Crack open a cold Mexican cerveza like a Negra
Modelo or a 2 Equis (XX) Amber to make this tasty beer batter, which will
change the way you think about fried fish! You can use it for vegetables, too.
**Cook's Note: Mexican Crema is Mexico's version of creme
fraiche and is found at many supermarkets and can easily be substituted with
sour cream.
